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This is a total romance chapter.

I can't beleieve it's coming to this...

Well, enjoy! And this chapter is important, even though it seems pointless.

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

Claimer: I own Mneme because I made her up.

Chapter Ten

The rest of the day, Pietro played Mneme's laugh over and over in his head. When she had smiled, it was like the whole cafeteria lit up--maybe she had made the lights brighter with her powers by accident or something. And then her laugh...it was so silvery and light--he would never have expected it to come from a girl so monotone. Every time the scene went on in his head, he just felt like he was on a cloud or something. Pietro lied in the tall grassy field on the edge of the school's property, smiling to himself. He had never felt like this before--not at his old school, not ever before then. For hours he sat and thought to himself, until he heard faintly heard the school bell. He zoomed off to meet Mneme for detention. He'd never been so happy to go to detention in his life.

Mneme sat on the desk, waiting for Pietro to show up. In a few seconds he was sitting on the desk next to hers, holding a bunch of pretty flowers. "I picked these for you," he said as he handed them to her. The maroon roses and white carnations were so pretty, they didn't even have one flaw. "And this," he said, holding a pink carnation, "is also for you." He moved her hair behind her ear and pinned it back with the flower. Mneme felt warmth that she had never felt before, deep inside. She held the flowers up and examined them closely.

"Pretty..." she said in awe. The combination of the two flowers smelled wonderful. "Thank you. I wasn't expecting this, so that makes it all the more special." Mneme said to him with a slight smile. Pietro returned it with a small grin.

"So, what did you want to ask me?" he reminded her about earlier. Mneme's shoulders slumped in a relaxed way.

"I was going to ask why you saved me," she started. Pietro looked a little uneasy at first, but lightened up when she added, "but it doesn't matter. Before, if someone was in that state I would have thought that it was their own fault to get caught up in that mess. I would have let those men have their way. But since it was me in that situation, I realized that no one deserves that. I don't even know if those men deserved to die, but I wasn't going to leave them--they would just do the same to some other helpless girl." Mneme touched the soft petals of the flowers, knowing that she was leaving the dark side of the story out. Then she told it, "But I also did it for vengeance. I couldn't let them live--my hate towards them was too great." Pietro somehow seemed to understand. For some reason he grinned. "What?"

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll always be there for you." Mneme looked at him, her eyes full of joy but brimming with tears. Then they just poured out, streaming down her face. "No--don't cry! I'm sorry!" Pietro jumped off his desk and wrapped an arm around Mneme's shoulders.

"I'm alright, please don't be sorry. It's just that...that's so kind of you. That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me." Mneme wiped the tears away from her eyes and laughed at herself. "I feel so stupid. I'm crying over nothing."

Pietro sat back on his desk. "Nah, you're just Human. You have emotions and wants and needs." Mneme smiled, looking down at her flowers. He saw her as a Human. The thugs had called her a Human, but somehow it was different this time. Her stormy eyes met his silvery blue ones.

"You're not as pig-headed as Evan says." Mneme said shaking her head.

"Well you're not as crazy as everyone says," he retaliated, not harshly though.

"You don't know me well enough to say that."

"They don't know you at all. They shouldn't judge you before they know you." He said, punching her shoulder playfully. Mneme gasped and braced herself for the urge to attack, but it never came. Her body was perfectly calm. Relieved and surprised, Mneme smiled widely. "As for Evan, we're arch rivals. Don't believe a word he says about me."

"Alright," Mneme answered. Her joyous look made Pietro feel almost just as good. "You want to walk me home? I could just teleport there, but--"

"No! I'll walk you," he said quickly before she could change her mind. He took her hand and zoomed to the edge of the school grounds, but this was a place Mneme hadn't been before. Although she had something like a built-in GPS system, she let Pietro explain. She liked the sound of his voice. "We're at the back of the school grounds. Hardly anyone ever comes here, but there's a trail leading to the city. I thought we'd take the long way to the institute and enjoy the scenery." Mneme looked down the trail covered in leaves. It certainly looked peaceful, with the birds chirping and a slight breeze blowing.

"Of course," she said. They started walking, Pietro still holding Mneme's hand. As they walked down the winding trail their fingers soon became intertwined. Mneme's heart pounded so fast that she could've sworn that Pietro could hear it. She looked down at the flowers, so beautiful. He had said that they reminded him of her, which made her mind go numb with happiness. A butterfly fluttered over to the flowers and perched gently, stretching out its proboscis for the nectar. "Look," she said to Pietro. "It's so pretty." The two watched as a second butterfly came, perching next to the other. Soon they left, fluttering around each other. Their fluttering felt just like how her heart felt, so she imagined they were lovestruck. It was amazing that in such a short time they found each other. It reminded her of a certain situation that she was in. Her face turned red at the thought while she watched the two butterflies ascend above the trees and into the sky.

The rest of the walk was just as perfect, but also seemed to be teasing her. Everywhere things were paired--birds, plants, bugs. After an hour or so, the forest thinned around them and the trail gave way to a sidewalk. This part of the city was familiar, a very common way to get to the institute. The walk in the city was less peaceful, but the two were just as silent, completely lost for words. When they neared the tall gates leading to the grounds of the institute, Pietro stopped and smiled down at her.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said to her as he started walking away. As he went on Mneme's hand gently slipped out of his, giving her such a feeling that she didn't know how something so strong could be contained inside a body. She clasped her hands around the flowers and held them closer with a sigh. Her blushing cheeks gave her white skin a soft glow that she had never attained before, and she teleported into her room. She conjured a clear glass vase, putting it on her bedside table, and placed the flowers in it, taking enough moisture in the air to put in the vase as water. Taking the carnation from behind her ear, Mneme placed it in the middle of the rest. She sighed and flopped down on her bed. Could the day be any more perfect?

A knock sounded at her door. "Come in!" she called, a happy tone in her voice. Ororo opened the door and walked in, observing the new addition to the room.

"You seem happy," Storm said to her, a hint of curiosity in her voice. "We expected you back an hour ago, but it looks like you either went flower picking or some boy likes you." She raised an eyebrow inquisitively and the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile. Mneme sat up and looked at her guiltily.

"No way!" Kitty said, poking her head in the doorway. Mneme knew that she and Jean had been walking by and were listening intently. Jean appeared behind her. They came into the room. "You've got to tell us all about it!" she shrieked, jittery with the news. Mneme scooted back to the headboard and offered them to sit down. She described every detail of the walk, how she felt, and the flowers on the table.

"It was so amazing, like any girl could dream of, only it was real." Mneme finished. She had left out the talk that they had in the classroom, feeling that it was too personal to tell.

Ororo put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm very happy for you," she said to Mneme.

"That's, like, so much better than being asked to go out for a cheeseburger," Kitty said, imagining the whole thing. But Jean looked slightly perturbed.

"Who was it? You never mentioned his name," she pointed out, wanting to know if it was Pietro.

"Pietro Maximoff," she answered shamelessly, knowing that Jean was dreading it. Jean looked at her feet, deciding not to interfere with her love life.

"..." Kitty said, grinning. Mneme again smiled guiltily.

"We'd better let her be," Storm said. "Remember, we've had a rough time these last few days, that's the only reason training has been let up. It resumes tomorrow, so be ready." Kitty sighed in despair. "We're all going to the pool later, though, so I'll be expecting you three to be dressed and ready for swimming." Ororo got up and left, followed by Jean and Kitty after a short congratulations. Mneme lied on her bed after they left, playing the scene over and over in her head.

Jean walked down the hall next to Kitty, thinking about Mneme and Pietro...together. It didn't seem possible a boasting boy who always was looking for a challenge paired with the girl who was never loved and contained more power imaginable. It just didn't make sense--and he could be just doing it for his boss. If he broke Mneme's heart, she would never let him live it down. In fact, she probably wouldn't let him live at all. It would be Rogue and Gambit all over again; only there would be some murdering. But then again, Mneme and Pietro were just like Kitty and Lance, the bad boy and the good girl. It seemed impossible, so why were complete opposites attracted to each other? Which got her thinking, what about Kurt? It's obvious he likes Kitty, but she doesn't even give him a chance. They would make a cute pair, Jean thought. But of course, teen girls had to make things complicated by wanting someone on the opposite team. Perhaps it was the drastic measures they took to be with the girl, making her feel like she was his everything. Or maybe it was because they were just rebelling and wanted to do things against the rules. Jean groaned silently. Why can't they just be more like me and be with someone who actually believes in the same goals, like preventing evil? She doubted it would ever happen, but she could hope.

Mneme didn't have a bathing suit, but she could easily conjure one. Mneme stood in front of the mirror, wondering what would look good on her. Since black and teal seemed to be her ideal colors, she conjured up a two-piece. It had a beach sport top with a low-rise moderate bottom, and the design was black with a teal sheen. Using her powers, she split her clothes and bathing suit and switched them so she was now wearing her swimwear. It wasn't too revealing and it complimented her curves and muscles alike. She looked out her window to see the others gathering around the pool. She smiled, ready to have some fun, so she teleported about fifty feet above it and fell downward in a cannonball, waiting for the plunge.